In one of the homes in Radomyshl, the day begins like that of thousands of mothers across Ukraine. With a message: “Good morning, mum”. For Nataliia Shlomina, it’s not just a greeting – it’s a sign of life, a brief reminder that her son, who has been serving in the army for four years, is still in touch.

Nataliia is a historian, former school principal, head of the education department, and teacher. And now she is a pensioner with an active civic position, a volunteer, and a member of the “Nezlamna_Ya” hub. This is a space created by displaced women from Kherson, where they organise psychological trainings, discuss the philosophy of life and share stories. This hub is not just a place, it is a community where people support each other.

In her interview, Nataliia Shlomina quotes Myroslav Dochynets, a contemporary Ukrainian writer, philosopher, author of essays and parables, who became widely known for his image of Grandpa Andrii, a wise Carpathian elder who is the bearer of the folk philosophy of life. For Nataliia Shlomina, this philosophy became a kind of internal compass in the war: “Start the day with three questions: What have I done for myself? What have I done for people? What have I done for God?”.